I can think of some- as a coach, and as a cheerleader!
1- My high school team was a joke, and couldn't even place locally (of course, we had an "advisor" not a coach, who had NO IDEA what she was doing) My senior year, me and the other captain decided that we wanted to change that. So, we busted our butts, choreographed our own everything, made everyone take tumbling classes, etc. When we went to ECA (not even real nationals lol) we got 2nd out of like 15 teams in medium varsity. When they announced us as 2nd place, it felt like a world championship to us, just knowing how far we had been able to go in one season was really amazing. Our whole team jumped on top of us in a big pile and we were screaming and crying. One of the happiest things I ever remember in my life! I watch the video now, and I think it's atrocious hahaha.... but it was good enough to place in the late 90's lol
2- My freshman year of college, at NCA, our scores came up on the screen Day 1 putting us in 1st place. I actually have a video of the whole team just bawling in the stands when we found out. I still cry watching that, even though we ended up dropping to 4th lol (hitting clean both days and just being out-difficultied on Day 2)
3- My first year coaching allstars, I had a little one on my youth 2 team who was very tiny and weak for her age due to some medical issues. She couldn't even forward roll when I got her, all bones, but she had just gotten her backhandspring before Battle at the Capitol. She was a very shy and timid girl, from what I remember. She was so scared in warmups, she kept asking me to take it out. I told her no way, you can do it! When they got out there onto the floor, she hit that BHS and popped up with the most priceless expression. It actually gives me chills to think about the way that little girl's face lit up for the remainder of the routine. She was just beaming! She sprinted at me when they finished, and lept into my arms. If she were a normal sized kid, it would've knocked me down lol
4- Again, my first year coaching allstars (this team was crazy when I think about it lol)- I had a girl with no kidney, a girl with a hole in her heart, about 6 kids with diagnosed and medicated ADD/ADHD, a girl with partial blindness in one eye, a few asthmatics (normal to me now lol), and my most favorite girl of all, who had some learning difficulties. She couldn't do a motion, a jump, a forward roll, ANYTHING when she came to our team. She did not pick up on things very quickly, got lost on the floor, very short attention span, etc. I used to worked with her one-on-one before practices. She ended up making her way to the middle of the pack, by the time we got into March. Just watching her perform was great, because her energy and faces were always huge! The day she got her backhandspring, the whole gym stopped and cheered for her. She's on a senior 4 team now:)
Basically, anytime my kids hit the floor and overcome something- injury, personal situation, etc- or anytime you see the shy, quiet kids turn it out when they compete... love it, to me that's what this is all about! It's truly a sport for everyone<3